Photo paper for pcb transfer?

[gutsofgold]

What is the current recommendation for photo paper? I know Staples used to have their own brand that everyone said was excellent in transferring layouts, unfortunately they only carry it in 100 pages now. Any others? Is PnP Blue all that worth it?

[Papa_lazerous]

I use photo paper and PnP too, I think if I had both infront of me and there was no cost involved I would go for the blue every time...........

[Mark Hammer]

1) The paper should be shiny, shiny, shiny.  The shinier it is, the smoother the grain and the better the resolution of the transfer.

2) The paper should be shiny on only ONE side.  I have accidentally bought inexpensive photopaper that had the emulsion coating on both sides of the paper backing, so that when you went to iron it, the emulsion melted onto the iron surface.  While double-coated paper is great for running it through an inkjet printer without having to worry about which side goes up, it's not so great for ironing.

3) I have been able to buy 10 sheets for a buck in dollar stores, and it worked fine.  I also find that photocopy outlets tend to keep photopaper around for customers who run in with a picture they want blown up.  Nothing wrong with printing out a bunch of layouts on normal paper, cuting them out and taping them onto a backing surface to maximize how many patterns fit onto 8.5 x 11, and asking the photocopy place to make you a copy on photo paper.  For B&W, I can't see them charging you more than $1.  Usually, if they don't get the contrast right, they absorb the cost of the first misprint.

[miqbal]

Guys, is it glossy or matte?

[Michael Allen]

Use glossy. The glossy finish comes off real easy from the rest of the paper when you soak it in water. I usually soak it for like 5 minutes and then it will start to liftoff by itself. Just a little pull and all the paper comes off in one piece ...